inMelbourne

In an ominous message for other finalists, St Kilda insists it has more improvement to come after beating defending premiers Geelong.

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy insists it is business as usual as the Storm prepare for their final match of the season against Newcastle on Sunday.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson has warned his men not to bother turning up for a sudden death AFL semi-final unless they are prepared to be desperate from the start.

Central Coast left a frustrating week behind with a convincing 2-0 A-League win over Melbourne Victory at Bluetongue Stadium on Friday night.

St Kilda tagger Steven Baker will have to wait for his return from a long AFL suspension after becoming a late withdrawal from Friday night’s qualifying final against Geelong.

Carlton’s mission at the start of the season boiled down to two challenges – scoring goals consistently without Brendan Fevola and then winning in the finals.

Shamoline Warrior, a leading prospect for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, has gone amiss and is out of the spring carnival.

Former Socceroo John Aloisi is set to make his first appearance for the Melbourne Heart, but the club has decided against risking Michael Beauchamp in its A-League clash with North Queensland at AAMI Park on Saturday.

Essendon has drafted club stalwart Scott Lucas onto a panel to select a replacement for dumped head coach Matthew Knights.

Collingwood midfield star Dane Swan has shrugged off the weight of expectation as the AFL minor premier prepares to kick off its finals campaign.